{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=23D8B88F-31FB-4C78-A04A-DBEB4E6CDD23", "STATEMENT BY U.S. SENATOR MIKE ENZI CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE", "2016-07-06", "2016", "2016-07", "Republican", "House", "WY", "Michael Enzi", "E000285", "www.enzi.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.\r\nOn August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill creating the National Park Service to oversee the country\u2019s parks and monuments.\u00a0 Since then, the National Park Service has served generations of visitors by providing a gateway to the wonders of our nation.\u00a0 As a result, our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to experience things that cannot be fully appreciated by pictures in a book or lessons in a classroom.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nNow, this is something we should all celebrate, but it\u2019s especially important to me because Wyoming is home to some of the best National Park Service areas in this country, including the very first National Park.\r\nYellowstone National Park was named our first National Park in 1872, well before the existence of the National Park Service.\u00a0 It was \u201cset apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people\u201d for good reason.\u00a0 Every elementary school student learns about Old Faithful, the geyser that erupts about 17 times a day at Yellowstone.\u00a0 But Yellowstone is also home to more than 60 different mammals, more than 300 different birds, more than 15 species of fish, and 10 species of reptiles and amphibians.\r\nOf course Yellowstone isn\u2019t Wyoming\u2019s only National Park.\u00a0 My home state is also home to Grand Teton National Park, which was established in 1929.\u00a0 In addition to boasting one of the most recognizable mountain ranges in the world, this park is home to the famous Snake River.\u00a0\r\nMr. President, I also mentioned that the National Park Service helps to oversee National Monuments.\u00a0 That includes the country\u2019s first National Monument, which is also in Wyoming.\u00a0 Devils Tower was declared the first National Monument in 1906 and is one of the most unique formations in the world.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great place for hiking, climbing, or just taking in the views.\r\nWyoming is also home to Fossil Butte National Monument, which contains one of the largest deposits of freshwater fish fossils in the world.\u00a0 At this monument, you can see fossils of everything from perch to stingrays!\r\nI would be remiss if I did not mention Fort Laramie National Historic Site in Wyoming.\u00a0 Fort Laramie was established as a fur trading fort in 1834 and became an Army post in 1849.\u00a0 The Fort was the site of many important treaty negotiations and became a part of the National Park System in 1938.\r\nMy home state also has the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.\u00a0 There are about 28 miles of trails, boating opportunities, and historic ranches at this National Park area, which was established in 1966.\r\nThese are just a few of the 412 areas managed by the National Park System, but I think they are some of the best.\u00a0 Wyoming is proud of its National Park areas, and we are proud to celebrate the National Park Service\u2019s centennial.\u00a0\r\nI want close by acknowledging the hard work of the men and women who have maintained these special places of discovery and learning in Wyoming and across our nation.\u00a0 Thank you to the over 20,000 men and women of the National Park Service who go to work each day as caretakers, craftsmen and teachers to make America\u2019s National Parks second-to-none.\r\nThank you, Mr. President.\u00a0 I yield the floor.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/speeches?ContentRecord_id=23D8B88F-31FB-4C78-A04A-DBEB4E6CDD23"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1874401718378067, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}